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Current and former members of Anthrax, Queensryche, Rising Force, Racer X and other metal bands will take part in the 2013 NAMM Metal Jam this Wednesday, January 23, at the Whiskey A-Go Go in West Hollywood, California.

Paul Reed Smith and bassist Gary Grainger began collaborating on what would become Private Stock Gary Grainger basses a decade ago. Now, in 2013, the Maryland-based manufacturer is proud to announce the evolution of this line as they add two new basses to its Core product offering: the Grainger 4 and Grainger 5.

Limited to 2013 production only, the guitar is a meticulously crafted replica of the black Fender Stratocaster Blackmore played with Deep Purple in the early ’70s, including the recording of seminal album Machine Head and the band’s greatest hit single.

Loog Guitars, the line of 3-string guitar kits that revolutionized the way parents and kids bond with musical instruments, announced the launch of updated versions for its three models. But first things first!

When writing riffs, one of the greatest challenges is to create parts that are not just melodically and rhythmically effective but also memorable and powerful. The best metal riffs—like “Crazy Train,” for example—contain all of the qualities necessary for a great riff: hard-driving power, strong melody and, most importantly, a “star quality” that makes the riff instantly recognizable. This is true for both fast and slow riffs, because a really great riff doesn’t have to be impressive exclusively in a technical sense. This month, I’d like to present a couple of riffs that I believe exemplify these qualities.

Dave Rose runs Deep South Entertainment, a successful business and artist management company that’s been around since 1995. Over the years, he’s worked with some big names, including Michael Sweet, Bruce Hornsby, Marcy Playground and Allison Moorer, to name just a few.